Check valve



Dec. 22, 1942. R. B. AMPBELL CHECK VALVE Fi1edvJune 11, 1941 //v VENTO/2, RODA/Ey B. CAMPBELL ,I-/A/'R/.Sl mic/7; Pow-ER d HARK/.s

f rap 1w: nem

A TToeofQS-S manzana..

1 native embodiment of'myjinventionl.

Referringjtothe drawing," a'check valvemeans 11 l Rodney-B. Campbell,

filclain.

This application a. continuation-impart of my copending application'ior Regulating valve, A Serial 'No.1 258,975, nled' February' '2 8, 1939, to A Y 'Aduraluminor-othersuitable nlaterl'alfhaving` the "first-'1 annular-f seat-member' "I9- castintegrally therewith. I have found thatif the rst annular AseatV member `i's-lrst formedf'ojf steer-having a which 'reierence'is hereby made.

A prinwfnr object of the' invention to prvide a valve 'device whichiiicludes check valve lmeans for holding the working pressure liiithe working portionofafluidsystem. Other objects andadvantagjeswill'appear from the following specication`- 'andthe drawing, which is foithe purpose 'of illustration' only and lv fis af vertical 'sectional vi'evvof my inven- Figx'zisa view to rig.-1-b'ut showing -f the'pau valve membersfin operi positions Figj3 is a vertical sectional view In, shown indecaiin Fig; 1, 'has an 'outer tubuiar housing I5""ha.ving"a threaded main-bore'IS at one end and a threaded coiterborell at' the passage I8 axially aligned with a rst annular seat member I9 rigidly secured in the housing I and provided with a relatively long conical seating face ISa. The first seat member I9 is preferably cast integrally with the tubular housing I5, as described hereinafter, but it will be evident that I do not intend to be limited to such construction and that the iirst seat member may be secured in the tubular housing in any manner well known in the art. An annular shoulder is formed on the interior of the tubular housing I5, which is engaged by one end of a tubular sleeve 2|, the other end thereof bearing against one side of an annular flange '22 formed on a second annular seatmember 23 provided with a relatively long conical seating face 23a. The

' other s'ide ofthe ange 22 is engaged by a threaded sleeve '24 which is threaded into the main bore I6, the sleeves 2| and 24 retaining the second seat member in rigid' position relative to the tubular housing I5. A lock nut 25 is threaded into the main bore I6 to engage the threaded sleeve 24 to retain it securely in place, and an outer pipe fitting 26 is also threaded into the main bore to permit the check valve means I0 to be connected in a iluid ilow line (not shown). Adapted to seat on the Iseating' face ISa of the first annular seat member I9 is a iirst ball valvelement 21, normally held in seated position by a ilrst compression spring 28, and adapted to seat-on the seating face 23a of the second annular seat member 221s a second ball valve element 65 ing. through the check valve normally heid' in seated position-'by a second The't tubular housing I5 is preferably cast from very 'high ten'i'pe'ry (Burnellrating') soas to renthe tubular housing 'I5 thecasting lprocess draws *sufficient o1its"tempe'rto render -it extremely tough withoutl unduly decreasing-fits hardness.

method 'providesa seaty member of adesired hardness and having highly desirable lalvearresistingcharacteristicsf iii-*a housing in v-which '1hardnes'sislunnecessary-,- fand this-*method an 'important feature offmyffinventiona. iAs will be "appar-'enttothoselskilled in-the art,lthe` counter- .bo're -I`1.1is"adapted-'td'haveithreaded into it the fend: of a'supply pipe carrying uid. under pressu1:e,fandy thel outer pipe iitting-126fis adapted to have threaded' into it Iadischarge pipefthe .check other end; the bores being connected by a centrall l va1ve=means `III beingfadapted- :tof prevent a reverse flow from the discharge pipe to the supply Plpe- A'I'he construction and operation of the check valve means I0 are of particular importance. vIt will be noted that the check valve means I 0 is provided with two conical seats I9a and 23a having ball valve elements 21 and 29 cooperating therewith, respectively, and'in the event that one of the ball valve elements collects dirt or other foreign materials thereunder preventing it from seating, the other ball valvel element picks up and holds the pressure load imposed by :duid passing through the check-valve means from the counterbore I1, thus doubly insuring that the closing action of the check valve means I0 will be positive. In such an event, when the next surge of pressure fluid passes through the check valve means III from the counterbore I1 to the pipe tting 26, it will act to flush the dirt or foreign material under the ball valve element which has not been carrying the pressure uid load, thus automatically cleaning the check valve means I 0. By providing both ball valve elements 21 and 29 of the same diameter, together with the other' features of my construction. an unrestricted ow of uid is permitted, a result not possible with prior types of devices. Fig. 2 shows the check valve means I0 with both of the ball valve members 21 and 29 off their seats I Saand 23a, respectively, which is the normal open position of the ball valve members when uid is owmeans. It will be noted that in this open position the ball valve members 21 and 29 are supported by the springs 2l and 30, respectively, in substantial axial alignment with the central passage i8 and the axial opening I9a, respectively, large clearance between the sides of the ball valve members and the inside walls of the tubular sleeve 2| and the threaded sleeve 24, respectively. 'I'his permits a free and substantially uninterrupted flow of fluid around the ball valve members and through the check valve means i0, and substantially reduces the formation of undesirable eddy currents in the fluid flow behind the ball valve members. It is also to be noted that the length of the valve seats i90. and 23a is substantially equal to that of the radii of the ball valve members, which is an importantfeature in that it permits the ball valve members to positively seat thereon without hunting a seating position, which is normally the case where the length of 'a valve seat of this general type is short. In other words, by providing relatively and that there isa the other internal parts of the device. Thus. in the device shown in Fig. 3 the first annular seat lsb may be replaced readily, and the dimculty of accurately casting it in aligned position, which is sometimes true of the device shown in Fig. l, is not experienced. both of which features add to the utility of this embodiment of the invention.

Although I have shown and described my invention in simple and practical form, it will be understood that I do not intend to be limited to the particular construction shown, but intend to be afforded the -full scope of thev following claim.

I claim as my invention:

In a check valve device, the combination of: a tubular housing having an inlet and an outlet and an internal shoulder adjacent said inlet in the bore of said housing, said bore having a threaded portion at its outlet end; a. iirst annular seat member in said bore abutting against said shoulder and having a first conical engaging face disposed toward said outlet; a iirst ball valve long seats for the ball valve members, I provide a guiding means for smoothly guiding the ball valve members into seated position. It will further be noted that all of the internal elements of my check valve means i0 nest together and may be insertedin sequence through the maior vbore i8. which greatly facilitates assembly.

The alternative embodiment shown in Fig. 3 is generally similar instructure and operation to the check valve means I0, and for simplicity `of description similar parts will be similarly numbered but with theaddition of the fsutllx b thereto. InL the device shown in Fig. 3, the an-v nular shoulder 20 of Fig. 1 is omitted from the housing I5b so as to form an annular recess 35 between the first annular seat Iiib and the housing lib, into which an enlargedend 36 formed on the tubular sleeve 2lb ilts. InV this form of the device, the first annular seat isb is not cast with the housing i517, as described in connection e with the device shown in Fig. l, but is a separate piecewhich is insertable in the-housing l5b like member adapted to seat on said iirst engaging face; a sleeve abutting against said ilrst annular seat member4 andhaving an internal diameter substantially greaterthan the diameter of said first ball valve member; a second annular seat member in said bore abuttingl against said sleeve and having a second, conical engaging face disposed toward said outlet; ak first compression spring engaging said second seat member and said -first ballvalve member; a' second bali valve member adapted to seat on said secondengaging face; a tubular retainer engaging said second seat member and Ahaving an internal' diameter substantially greater than the. diameter of said second ball valve `member, said tubular retainer beingexternally threaded and screwed into ysaid threaded portion'so that a pipe fitting can be screwed into the outer end of said threaded portion without changing thel position of said tubular retainer; and a second compression spring engaging said tubular retainer and said second ball valve member. f f

- Y RODNEY B. CAMPBELL. 

